For a moment — a brief moment — it looked like No. 2 Alabama might lose on the road.
Heisman Trophy quarterback Bryce Young was out with a sprained shoulder. Arkansas ripped off 23 unanswered points after falling behind 28-0, and the Crimson Tide faced a third-and-15 from its own 20-yard line.
Then, Alabama backup quarterback Jalen Milroe took off on a spectacular a 77-yard run. Jase McClellan scored on a three-yard touchdown two plays later. Then, Jahmyr Gibbs scored on runs of 72 and 76 yards, respectively, on the next two possessions. Gibbs finished with 206 rushing yards. A disaster quarter turned into a convincing 49-26 victory for the Crimson Tide.
WEEK 5 OVERREACTIONS: Feeling a lot like 2017
That will be good for Crimson Tide in the long run. Yes, Alabama is better with Young — and that showed in the first half. Young was 7 of 13 passing for 173 yards — an average of 24.7 yards per completion — and he shook off an interception on a tipped pass on the first drive with two quick TDs. Alabama led 21-0 when Young exited to the medical tent.
Arkansas scored 16 points in the third quarter with the help of a recovered onside kick and a bad punt snap by Alabama, special teams gaffes that typically have Alabama coach Nick Saban reaching for the next headset. But Milroe’s run offset that, and the Crimson Tide avoided a nail-biter like the 20-19 victory at Texas on Sept. 10. Young, who had his helmet on the entire second half, cheered from the sideline.
Young’s health will be the lead topic this week heading into a matchup against No. 17 Texas A&M, and the road schedule still features No. 8 Tennessee, LSU and No. 14 Ole Miss. Alabama, however, remains on track as usual in the SEC West race.
The first set of College Football Playoff rankings won’t be unveiled until Nov. 1, but Sporting News has a feel for how that looks heading into Week 6:
Four In
1. Georgia (5-0)
Up next: vs. Auburn
Alabama wasn’t the only one who had a scare. Georgia trailed Missouri by 10 points with 14:09 remaining before a putting together a pair of TD drives for a 26-22 victory on the road. It was a tale of two halves for Stetson Bennett, who was 10 of 23 for 149 yards in the first half before hitting 14 of 20 passes for 163 yards in the second half. This is back-to-back weeks where the Bulldogs have not looked like the dominating force that led to a national championship in 2021. That means they likely will lose some first-place votes to Alabama and Ohio State, but it won’t be enough to drop out of the top spot yet.
2. Alabama (5-0)
Up next: vs. No. 17 Texas A&M
The Aggies will not be ranked, but they will still have Alabama’s full attention. Texas A&M beat Alabama 41-38 last season, and the offseason back-and-forth between Jimbo Fisher and Saban was a hot topic. Alabama continues to have issues with penalties. The Crimson Tide had 10 penalties for 101 yards in the victory against Arkansas on Saturday. A cleaner performance at home will be needed no matter which quarterback is under center. Texas A&M has not won at Bryant-Denny Stadium since the unforgettable Johnny Manziel breakout performance in a 29-24 upset on Nov. 10, 2012.
MORE: Milroe fills in for injured Young | Shoulder sidelines Young
3. Ohio State (5-0)
Up next: at Michigan State
The Buckeyes disposed of Rutgers 49-10 in business-like fashion with the help of a record-setting performance by running back Miyan Wiliams (21 carries, 189 yards, 5 TDs). The five-TD performance tied a school record, and that allowed Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TreVeyon Henderson to rest nagging injuries. Quarterback C.J. Stroud (13 of 22, 154 yards, TD, INT) continued his Heisman campaign, but did not have to do too much. The Buckeyes’ defense also limited Rutgers to 1 of 13 conversions on third down and 187 total yards. The Buckeyes have the look of a complete team, and the first road game at Michigan State is next. Ohio State leads three top-10 Big Ten teams on this list, and there is an argument to be made to bump them up.
MORE: Ryan Day, Greg Schiano get heated after late hit on fake punt
4. Michigan (5-0)
Up next: at Indiana
There were brief anxious moments in the fourth quarter, but Michigan won at Kinnick Stadium for the first time since 2005 in a 27-14 victory against Iowa. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (18 of 23, 155 yards, TD) won his first road start, and Blake Corum (29 carries, 133 yards, TD) put the game away with a fourth-quarter TD run. The Wolverines’ pass rush helped seal the victory. Michigan passed a road test – and now it is about not looking past the Hoosiers before the Oct. 8 showdown with Penn State.
Two out
5. Clemson (5-0)
Up next: at Boston College
There is no escape from Death Valley when Dabo Swinney is involved. Clemson took control of the ACC Atlantic race with a 30-20 victory against No. 10 NC State. DJ Uiagalelei (21 of 30, 209 yards, TD) was a threat in the ground game with 73 yards and a pair of TDs, and the Tigers extended their home win streak to 37 games. The back-to-back victories against Wake Forest and NC State gives Clemson a cushion in their division and a straight-forward path back to the ACC championship game. Another CFP appearance would not be too far behind at that point.
6. USC (5-0)
Up next: vs. Washington State
Caleb Williams (27 of 37, 348 yards, three TDs, one INT) put on a show at the Coliseum and the Trojans pulled away from Arizona State in the second half in a 42-25 victory. Williams continues to spread the wealth among an impressive group of playmakers: seven different USC players had at least two catches Saturday night. It was not all smooth, however. The Sun Devils made big plays against a shaky run defense early, and this was a 21-17 game at halftime. Williams, who had 44 rushing yards and another TD on the ground, had to scramble more than expected. First-year coach Lincoln Riley still has an undefeated team, however, and USC remains one of the elite offenses in the FBS as long as Williams is upright. Washington State poses an interesting test in Week 6 with Incarnate Word transfer quarterback Cameron Ward.
Four to watch
7. Oklahoma State (4-0)
Up next: vs. Texas Tech
The Cowboys took control of the Big 12 race with a 36-25 victory against Baylor in a rematch of last year’s Big 12 championship game. That is an impressive road victory. Jaden Nixon’s 98-yard kickoff return for a TD gave Oklahoma State a 20-point cushion to start the second half, and that held up. Spencer Sanders shook off last year’s four-interception game with 181 passing yards, 75 rushing yards and two total TDs. Kansas and TCU are the only other remaining unbeaten teams in the Big 12, and the Cowboys will face both on the road later this season.
8. Tennessee (4-0)
Up next: at LSU
Tennessee had a bye week, and this is the most exciting October in Knoxville in quite some time. The Volunteers average 48.5 points per game, and Hendon Hooker has worked his way into the Heisman conversation. The upcoming two-week stretch is everything. Tennessee hasn’t won at Tiger Stadium since 2005 and has lost five straight to LSU. Then, it’s Alabama — which is a perfect 15-0 against the Vols under Saban. We’re about to find out how real that excitement is for second-year coach Josh Heupel.
9. Ole Miss (5-0)
Up next: at Vanderbilt
The Rebels caught a break with some poor clock management by Kentucky on the final drive, which negated a potential game-winning TD pass and led to a strip sack by Jared Ivey and fumble recovery by Tavirus Robinson. The Rebels survived in a 22-19 victory that should result in a top-10 ranking. Coach Lane Kiffin continues to rely on a relentless running game, and Quinshon Judkins (15 carries, 106 yards, TD) continues to roll. It is possible Ole Miss will not see a ranked opponent until the home game against Alabama on Nov. 12.
MORE: Ole Miss takes advantage of UK miscues
10. Penn State (5-0)
Up next: at Michigan (Oct. 15)
The Nittany Lions head into a bye week as one of the pleasant surprises of the first month of the season after a 17-7 victory against Northwestern. Penn State won road games at Purdue and Auburn to build that case. That said, it wasn’t pretty against the Wildcats in a wet-weather affair at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions had five turnovers. Sean Clifford (10 of 20, 140 yards, TD, INT) continues to win as the starting quarterback, and the bye week comes at the right time ahead of what should be a top-10 showdown at Michigan.
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